Classifying machine



Feb. 29,1944.

R. K. BARRY CLASSIFYING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1942 81 m H x S Sheets-Sheet 1 lQWK-Bwq XW W R. K. BARRY 2,343,042

CLASSIFYING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 29, 1944.

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1.1 I MQ Feb. 29, 1944. R. K BARRY CLASSIFYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 30, 1942 IIIIIIIIIIIA Patented Feb. 29, 1944 CLASSIFYING MACHINE Robert K. Barry, Muscatine, Iowa, assignor to Barry Company, Muscatine, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application March 30, 1942, Serial No. 436,887

2 Claims.

This invention is a novel machine for classifying, sorting, calibrating, or separating articles such as armor piercing bullets for cartridges, steel ball bearing balls, wrist pins, or the like, which articles are allowed a small tolerance in diameter or size usually measured in thousandths of an inch; and the principal object thereof is to provide a machine consisting essentially of a pair of relatively long oppositely rotating and slightly diverging rolls, mounted in a frame in such manner as to be adjustable horizontally and vertically, said rolls being normally inclined to the horizontal. The articles to be classified or sorted are discharged from a hopper disposed at the higher end of the rolls, said articles falling between the rolls at their more closely adjacent upper ends, and moving downwardly while supported between the oppositely rotating and diverging rolls until the spacing of the rolls permits same to drop into one of a series of receiving pens disposed beneath the rolls.' By such construction the slight angularity between the rolls throughout their entire length provides a very slight variation in the space between the rolls for each inch of travel of .the articles in their downwardly inclined path between the rolls, the difference in the spacing at the opposite ends of the rolls embracing the entire or total permitted tolerance for the size or diameter of the articles for which the machine is set, whereby the classification of the articles can be based upon very close tolerances. For instance, 30 caliber armor piercing bullets are permitted a total tolerance of .001", and by proper adjustment of the rolls at each end of the machine, all bullets either larger or smaller than the above tolerance would be rejected. The rolls however would be spaced differently for classifying different caliber bullets or articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hopper for feeding the articles to the rolls, the articles being fed by gravity onto a vibrating and inclined pan disposed below the hopper discharge, the vibration of the pan spreading and feeding the articles in proper sequence or relation to and between the inclined revolving rolls at their upper ends, between which rolls the articles travel downwardly until they drop through into one' of the receiving pans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for mounting the rolls in the frame of the machine so that the vertical inclination of the pair of rolls, and the spacing between the pair of rolls, may be readily adjusted.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof, to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims. the novel feetures of construction, and novel combination of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my novel machine showing the arrangement of the rolls, hopper, and receiving pans; and showing the belt drive for rotating the rolls in opposite directions.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof showing the hopper partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, taken through the discharge end of the frame, showing the sliding sub-frame for adjusting the vertical inclination of' the pair of rolls; and showing the means for adjusting the spacing between the rolls at the discharge end of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the hopper and vibrating pan which feeds the articles to and between the rolls.

5 is a plan view of the horizontally adjustable roll, detached, showing the bearing yokes and trunnions, and the roll bearings at each end of the roll.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the frame at the feeding end of the machine, showing the means for adjusting the spacing between the rolls at said end.

The machine preferably comprises an open vertical frame I at the feeding end of the machine, and an open vertical frame 2 at the discharge end of the machine, said frames l and 2 being connected together by horizontal rods 3 transfixing the upper and lower corners of the frames I and 2, said rods 3 being provided with heads or nuts 3a3b respectively engaging opposite faces of theframes to maintain same in spaced relation. Preferably frames I and 2 are open and include side members, top, and bottom members respectively. Frame I at the feeding end of the machine is provided with an intermediate horizontalmember Ia (Fig. 1) disposed between the top and bottom thereof, and an inclined platform 4 is disposed between said horizontal memberla and the bottom member of the frame 2', as shown in Fig. 1, said platform 4 being adapted to hold a series of closely spaced receiving pans 4a, fourteen such pans being shown (Fig. 1) into which the classified or sorted articles are dropped, as hereinafter explained.

Above platform l are a pair of spaced rolls 5 and l which are inclined downwardly from the feeding end of the machine to the discharge end,

said pair of rolls 6 and 1 being adjustable vertically, and roll 6 being adjustable towards or from roll I, as hereinafterdescribed. Preferably each of rolls 6 and I are approximately 5 /2 inches in diameter and are about 6 feet long, and are preferably made of cold drawn seamless steel tubing albout -7 inch thick, each roll being turned and ground smooth and true. of rolls 6 and 1 receive plugs provided with stub The ends shafts which are journaled in self-aligning roll bearings, which latter are readily adjustable to control the spacing between the two rolls While permitting adjustment of the vertical inclination of the pair of rolls.

Roll 7 is adjustable vertically only, and the stub shaft 8 (Fig. 6) at the upper end of said roll carries a roll bearing 9 around which is a {bearing yoke Ill having a horizontally disposed arm II rotatably mounted in a horizontal bore Ib in the side of the frame I, said arm I I being maintained against axial movement in bore Ib while being rotatable therein. The lower end of the roll 1 is journaled in a vertical sliding frame I2 (Fig. 3) in the frame 2.

As shown in Fig. 3, within frame 2 at the discharge end of the machine is a sliding frame I2 vertically movably mounted therein, said sliding frame being open and comprising side, top and bottom members, respectively. In the top member of sliding frame I2 is a threaded bore I2a receiving an adjusting screw I3 having threads engaging the threaded bore I2a, said screw I3 passing upwardly through a bore 2a in the top member of frame 2 and being rotatable therein. Screw I3 carries on its upper end a hand-wheel 14, the hub of which contacts the top of frame 2, whereby rotation of hand-wheel I4 will raise and lower the sliding frame I2 within the frame 2.

The lower stub shaft 8 of the roll I (Fig. 3) also carries a roll bearing 9 journaled within a bearing yoke Ill provided with a horizontally disposed arm II rotatably mounted in a bore I2b in the side of the sliding frame I2, the arm. I I being held against axial movement in said bore I2?) but being rotatable therein. By the above construction, while the upper bearing yoke II] of roll I is carried by the frame I, and the lower hearing yoke I is carried by the sliding frame 52 of the frame 2, it is obvious that as the sliding frame I2 is raised or lowered by turning handwheel It the roll bearings 9 at the upper and lower ends of roll I will be maintained in proper alignment for any vertical inclination to which roll I is adjusted, since the arms H of the bearing yokes Ill at each end of said roll are each disposed horizontally and can rotate in their supports; and thus the vertical inclination of roll I may be readily adjusted merely by rotating hand-wheel I4 which raises or lowers sliding frame I2.

The other roll 6 is disposed in the same plane as the roll 1 for any adjustment of sliding frame I2. but the ends of roll 6 are adjustable towards or away from roll I. As shown in Figs. and 6, the upper stub shaft 8 of roll 6 is provided with a roll bearing 9 around which is an enlarged hearing yoke I5 spaced therefrom and provided with opposed vertically disposed bearing pivot pins I5a, which pins pass through the bearing yoke I5 and into the roll bearing 9 so as to permit the angularity of the roll 6 to vary from that of roll I. Extending laterally from the bearing yoke I5 is a horizontal arm I3 entering a bore I c in a boss Id on the side of main frame I, said arm I5 terminating within bore I0 and having a threaded bore IQ extending inwardly from its outer end. Within. the bore Ic is mounted a sleeve 20 which is held against axial movement in said bore Ic in any desired manner, said sleeve 20 carrying a screw shaft 22 held from axial movement in said sleeve, and said shaft 22 carrying a hand-wheel 2 I at its outer end beyond the frame I. Screw shaft 22 enters the threaded bore I9 of arm I6, whereby rotation of the hand-wheel 2| will cause the armIfi to move inwardly or outwardly, according to the direction of rotation of the hand-wheel, to adjust the bearing yoke l5 of roll 6 towards or from the roll I at the feeding end of the machine, the arm It being rotatable in said bore Ic.

The stub shaft 8 at the lower end of roll 6 (Fig. 3) is similarly provided with a roll bearing 9 supported in a bearing yoke having vertically disposed and opposed ibearing pivot pins I5a; and bearing yoke l5 has a horizontal arm I6 passing through a bore I2c in a boss |2d on the side of sliding frame I2, the outer end of the boss 12d passing through a vertical slot 2s in the side of frame 2, said boss I2d projecting beyond the side of frame 2 as shown in Fig. 1, and said slot 23 permitting the sliding frame I2 to be raised or lowered in frame 2. In the outer end of bore I20 of sliding frame I2 is a sleeve 25 which is held against axial movement in bore I20, said sleeve 25 carrying a screw shaft 21 held against axial movement in said sleeve, said shaft 2l' carrying a hand-wheel 2% at its outer end. Screw shaft 27 engages a threaded bore 28 in the end of arm I5 of the yoke, whereby rotation of hand-wheel 26 will adjust the lower bearing yoke i5 of roll 5 towards or from the roll 1 according to the direction of rotation of said handwheel.

By the above construction, as sliding frame I2 is raised or lowered, the arms II and I6 of the upper and lower bearing yokes I0 and I5 of the rolls 1 and 6 will merely rotate slightly in their respective horizontal bores in the sliding frame I2 and in the main frame I, so that the bearings at each end of the rolls 1 and 6 will remain in proper alignment for any adjustment of the sliding frame I2, permitting the rolls to rotate freely without binding.

The horizontally adjustable roll 6 however may in addition be adjusted by rotation of handwheels 2| and/or 25 to shift the respective ends 4 of the roll 6 towards or from the roll I, the vertical bearing pivot pins I541 together with the horizontal rotatable arms I6 of the bearing yoke's I5 permitting universal movement of the roll bearings 9 at the respective ends of roll 5, whereby the ends of roll 6 may be freely adjusted towards or from the roll I without binding of its bearings.

The stud shafts 8 at the upper ends of the respective rolls 6 and I carry belt pulleys 30 and 3 I; and in alignment with and above the belt pulleys 30, 3I is a take-up pulley 32 adjustably mounted on frame I. At the base of frame I is journaled a shaft 33 having a pulley 34 (Fig. l) disposed thereon in vertical alignment with the pulleys 30, 3I and 32; and an endless belt 35 runs around the pulleys 30, 3|, and 32 and 34, the belt 35 passing over the pulley 38 of roll 6, and under the pulley 3| of roll I, then up and over the adjusting pulley 32 and down and under the pulley 34 on the drive shaft 33, whereby when the shaft 33 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the rolls 6 and I will be rotated in opposite directions, their adjacent peripheries moving upwardly as shown by arrows, Fig. 4. The drive shaft 33 may be conveniently driven by a large pulley 36 disposed thereon around which a belt 31 from a suitable prime mover runs.

The vertical adjustment of sliding frame I2 imparts a greater or lesser inclination to the pair of rolls 6 and I. The articles A (Fig. 4) to be classified as to caliber or size travel between the revolving rolls 6 and 1 from the feeding end of the machine towards the discharge end. Some such articles require less inclination of the rolls than others, due to their smoothness of surface, but same may be caused to feed or move automatically in proper timed relation by proper inclination of the pair of rolls 6 and I efiected by rotating the hand-wheel M.

The two rolls 6 and 1 are spaced closer together at the upper or feeding end of the machine than at the lower or discharge end, and due to such angularity or spacing the articles to be classified or sorted, in their travel down the inclined rolls 6 and 1, will at some point or distance from the feeding end reach the proper spacing through which same will drop into one of the fourteen receiving pans 401.

At the feeding end of the machine is a hopper 40 for the articles to be sorted or classified, said hopper contracting towards its lower end into a discharge spout 4|. Preferably hopper 40 is supported upon the frame members I and 3 by posts 42 (Fig. 1) adjustably mounted in socket members 43 mounted upon the top of frame I and upon the rear upper horizontal frame rod 3, so that the hopper will be disposed above rolls 6 and I but at the rear of the machine.

Mounted on the discharge spout 4! of the hopper is a collar 44 (Fig. 4) having spider arms 45 provided with depending bolts 46 at their outer ends supporting a vibrating pan 4! inclined downwardly in a direction towards the rolls 6 and 1. Pan 4'! has an apron 41a at its lower end directing the articles downwardly between the rolls 6 and 1. Upon the bolts 46 are springs 48 thereby permitting adjustment and vibration of pan 41. Below the vibrating pan 41 is a vibrator which causes the articles on pan 4'! to feed in timed or proper sequence to and between the classifying rolls 6 and 1, the articles travelling down between the inclined rolls 6 and 1 into position where same can drop through into a receiving pan 4a. A feed control collar 50 is located on the collar 44 just above the vibrating pan 41, and may be adjusted vertically so as to control the feeding of the articles from the hopper 40 to the vibrating pan 4?. Some articles will require less space between collar 50 and pan 4! than others for proper feeding, and the adjustment of collar 50 is therefore essential to prevent overloading of the vibrating pan 4! with articles so that same cannot be properly spread and fed to the rolls 6 and 1. Also the vibrating pan 4'! is adjustable so that the proper angularity can be made to assist in the feeding operation by retarding the rolling movement of the articles sufiiciently to prevent jamming thereof before entering between the rolls.

In the embodiment shown, an electric vibrator is used consisting of an electro-magnet 60 operated by alternating current to actuate a hammer 6| mounted on a spring and which contacts a fiber plate 62 attached to the bottom of the vibrating pan 41. However, if desired, any desired mechanical vibrator may be used.

When the machine is used to grade, sort, calibrate or separate armor piercing bullets for cartridges of specified caliber, the roll 6 is adjusted by means of the hand-wheels 2! and 26 to properly space rolls 6 from roll 1 to allow for the total tolerance, and the bullets of the specified caliber are placed in hopper 40, and the machine then operated to feed the bullets from hopper 40, the same being fed in a positive and easily controlled manner by the vibration of pan 4'! upon which the articles are properly spaced and fed. My machine will classify or sort approximately two hundred cores a minute with more accuracy than can be done by six ordinary operators using hand-gauges and hand-checking as to diameter. My machine may also be used for sorting or classifying ball bearing balls, wrist pins, or various other articles.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A machine, comprising a frame; a second frame spaced therefrom; a sub-frame vertically movably mounted in the second frame; a pair of adjacent rolls of substantial length having their axes disposed in a common plane inclined downwardly with respect to the horizontal; said rolls having their ends journaled in bearings in the first frame and sub-frame respectively; means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions with their adjacent peripheries moving upwardly; means for adjusting the sub-frame in the second frame; said bearings being rotatable on horizontal axes whereby the sub-frame may be adjusted without binding of the bearings; means carried by the first frame and sub-frame for adjusting the spacing of the bearings at each end of the rolls to vary the clearance between the rolls in said common plane and to provide a greater clearance at the lower end than at the upper end of the rolls; means for feeding articles between the upper end of said rolls whereby same will progress downwardly therebetween; means for collecting at spaced increments along the length of the rolls the articles which drop therebetween during such progression; said bearing spacing adjusting means including movable yokes rotatable on horizontal axes and surrounding and spaced from the bearings and having opposed vertically disposed pivot pins entering the bearings whereby clearance may be adjusted without binding of the bearings; and means for moving said yokes.

2. A machine, comprising a pair of adjacent rolls of substantial length having their axes disposed in a common plane inclined downwardly with respect to the horizontal; a frame at the upper end of the rolls; a second frame at the lower end of the rolls; a sub-frame slidably mounted in the second frame; saidrolls being journaled in bearings carried by the first frame and sub-frame; said bearings being rotatable on horizontal axes whereby the sub-frame may be shifted .without binding of the bearings; means for shifting the sub-frame in the second frame; means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions with their adjacent peripheries moving upwardly; means for adjusting the clearance between the rclls in said common plane to provide a greater clearance at the lower end than at the upper end ofthe rolls; said clearance ad justing means including yokes surrounding and spaced from the movable bearings having opposed vertically disposed pivot pins entering the movable bearings, whereby the clearance may be adjusted without binding of the movable bearings; and means carried by the first frame and sub-frame respectively for shifting the said yokes. I

ROBERT K. BARRY. 

